ECU Voyages guest to discuss contributions to improved air quality
On Nov. 7, chemist and 2017 North Carolina Award for science recipient Dr. R.K.M. Jayanty will give the second presentation in the 2019-2020 ECU Voyages of Discovery Series. (Contributed photo)
Dr. R.K.M. Jayanty, chemist and distinguished fellow emeritus for RTI International, will present “My Life Journey and Scientific Contributions to Improve Air Quality” at 7 p.m. Nov. 7, in the Main Campus Student Center Ballrooms at East Carolina University. Jayanty is visiting ECU as a guest in the 2019-2020 Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences Voyages of Discovery Series.
Jayanty, who now serves as an adjunct professor of biological and agricultural engineering at N.C. State, is known for the advancement of state-of-the art measurements for detecting toxic pollutants. His progress enabled international adoption of important regulatory goals and methods for pollution control, and for the protection of human health and the environment.
In celebration of his pioneering work, Jayanty received the 2017 North Carolina Award for science. It is the highest civilian honor given by the state recognizing significant contributions in the fields of fine art, literature, public service and science.
“I was deeply moved by the speech Dr. Jayanty delivered when he received the North Carolina Award for sciencefrom Gov. Roy Cooper,” said Dr. Jeffrey Johnson, director of the Voyages of Discovery Series.“His personal story of the path that led to him earning a Ph.D. in chemistry is as compelling as the innovative science he has created that tangibly improves air quality here and across the globe.”
Jayanty was born in 1946 in a small village in India. As a boy, he was so sick from malnutrition that he could not attend school until age 8.
At a time when higher education was rare, Jayanty received advanced degrees in chemistry and engineering from Andhra University, India; the University of Bradford, England; and Pennsylvania State University.
At the time of his North Carolina Award, RTI President and CEO Wayne Holden said, “Dr. Jay’s research has impacted the lives of countless numbers of people in North Carolina and around the world. His dedication to improving the human condition through research into one of the world’s most challenging problems – pollution in the air we breathe – has made an incalculable contribution to our scientific stature.”
Jayanty has published more than 150 journal articles and presentations and several book chapters. He received the American Chemical Society’s Award for the Creative Advances in Science and Technology in 2000 and the Southern Chemist Award in 2012. In 2010, Jayanty received the Life Achievement Award for the Institute of Environmental Practices. Other honors include the 1991 prestigious Frank A. Chambers Award for his contributions to the science and art of air pollution control and the 1996 North Carolina Distinguished Chemist Award for his service to society.
Tickets for his event are $15 for the public, $10 for ECU faculty and staff, $5 for youth (ages 16 and younger) and free to ECU students with a valid 1 card.
A special access reception with Jayanty will be immediately before his main evening event. Guests will have an opportunity to interact with Jayanty and enjoy refreshments in an intimate environment. The reception is limited to 80 guests and will include heavy hors d’oeuvres, wine and beer. A ticket for the reception is $20.
Tickets for the reception and lecture may be purchased online at www.ecu.edu/voyages. ECU students may receive a free ticket to the lecture only and should visit the ECU Central Ticket office in the Main Campus Student Center with a valid 1 card to pick up a ticket.
The series is made possible through contributions from Harriot College’s Dean’s Advancement Council, College of Health and Human Performance, WITN, Inner Banks Media, university organizations and many other friends and supporters. For additional information about the Voyages series, visit www.ecu.edu/voyages. Individuals requesting accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) should call 252-737-1016 (voice/TTY) at least 48 hours prior to the event.
-by Lacey L. Gray, University Communications